Excitement is building ahead of the second annual 3x3 basketball tournament at Towradgi Park this weekend. Organisers are expecting more than 30 teams from all over Australia to take part in the two-day event on December 2-3. The inaugural event last year coincided with the launch of the newly formed Illawarra Heat's inclusion in the 3x3 Champions League Basketball competition. The club and tournament is the brainchild of 10-year NBL veteran Lucas Walker, who said there would be more than $5000 up for grabs across the junior and open categories at the 2023 showpiece. He said Illawarra Heat will again bring their own FIBA approved 3X3 court and hoop set-up to create a professional pop-up court specifically for the two-day event. The event will include competitions for wheelchair, all-abilities, junior and open age participants. "It will be similar to last year but we've added a bit extra this time around," he said. Walker wasn't surprised the abbreviated basketball format was riding such a wave of interest after featuring at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. "It's just such an exciting sport that anyone can play really. That's why it's becoming more popular by the day for young and old alike," he said. "I went overseas four times this year to play 3x3. The opportunities that it's giving people to travel is a definite advantage. "I was a professional basketballer at one time, I'm not anymore but I'm still able to play, even though I'm running my own business here, I'm still able to go and play in international competitions at an international level, even though I'm not committing to being a professional basketball player. "That's where 3x3 gives regular people these opportunities to be able to do that. "You can go to the Commonwealth Games or to the Olympics without technically being a professional. "CLB, which the Illawarra Heat plays in, has a three-year partnership with the Japanese 3.EXE League, where they're able to send senior teams through to play. "Two of my four trips were to Japan this year to play in tournaments against the Japanese professional league. "So just having that pathway to sort of progress through to juniors and then through to that elite level is pretty good and it's something that five-on-five doesn't have. "I think that's a big draw card for people." The tournament starts on Saturday from 10am and continues on Sunday from 12pm. Grand stand seating will be at the courts as well as plenty of standing room. Entry is free. People can use the QR below to register a team for the competition